Jackie's First Christmas
by DaringGirl55
Summary: Jacqueline had always been alone on Christmas. For three hundred years, she had never received a Christmas present. This year, she's at Santoff Clausen, and doesn't know what to do. She had always just done her job, and went home on Christmas, but this year, the Guardians won't stand for such a thing!


It was Christmas Eve. North was already out delivering presents to the children of the world, and like every year, the other guardians were at the Pole, in the library actually, celebrating their friend's holiday and waiting for his "triumphant" return. The elves ran around chasing each other for cookies and the other sugary treats. Astermund, Sandy, and Toothiana sat by the fireplace with mugs of hot coco cradled in their hands. They chatted about random things that came to mind - mostly eggs and teeth but who can blame them, it's their lives!

It was almost midnight at the pole when Tooth had a random thought. "Where's Jackie?"

"Who knows!" Aster exclaimed. "Probably making it snow in the Globe room, or messing with the yeti's. Ya know, Jacqueline stuff."

Sandy gave the other two uneasy looks. Sandy had put Jack into Dream Sleep a few times, and watched some of the images. One that he remember distinctly, though he remember nearly every dream, was a Christmas image. What she had gotten didn't matter, just that she had gotten something. There were gifts under the tree, all with her name on them, and inside the boxes was blurred, like she had never thought about what she got for Christmas. In the dream, she hugged her parents, and then it ended. It had intrigued Sandy, but he never asked about it.

"We should probably find her. You never know what trouble she might get into. Phil tends to watch her, but she could hurt her perfect teeth! ...I mean her. Not her teeth, her." Tooth said.

"Why us? Can't you send Babytooth? She'd be fine with bein' saddled with findin' the Snowflake!" Aster complained, but it wasn't full-hearted.

"I... I suppose..." Tooth bobbed her head from side to side.

Sandy rolled his eyes, and after putting his mug down, floated over in front of Aster. He jutted his arm out, pointing to the door. Aster gave an audible sigh. "But if she doesn't want to be around, why make her?"

Sandy made an image of all five guardians hugging. That was his sigh for "friends".

"She _has_ been on her own for three hundred years, maybe she doesn't know how to interact. I mean, RIGHT after we defeated Pitch, she spend - how many days around us? Four? Five? - before going back to being by herself again." Tooth said thoughtfully.

There was a nagging - there had always been a nagging - in the back of Aster's mind. Something in him had to make sure she was okay. But his pride wouldn't let him do it easily. "Fine." He made it sound begrudging, but he truly was glad.

He set his hot coco down on the side table, and hopped out of the room. He froze, still as a statue, and listened. He heard yetis chattering and working. He heard the elves jingling around, thinking they were doing something useful. Then he heard Jackie. Maybe? He moved towards the hardly audible sound, making sure to keep quiet.

It was a beautiful sound. Her voice was like a little child, and in the Pole, her voice echoed a bit. Then he listened close to the words she sang, and his heart dropped.

_La, la, la, la, la _

_la, la, la, la, la! _

_I'm wishing on a star, _

_and trying to believe, _

_That even though it's far,_

_He'll find me Christmas Eve. _

Jackie was standing on a high window ledge, staring out at the frozen tundra as she sang to herself. She was leaning against the wall, a distant look in her eyes.

_I guess that Santa's busy, _

_cuz he's never come around. _

_I think of him, _

_when Christmas comes to town. _

Had she never gotten a present? Not even coal? She had been on the Naughty list, and she held the record for the naughty list, but, what about when she first became Jacqueline Frost? Didn't she get a present then?

Aster was pulled out of his thoughts as Jackie started to sing again, but her voice had changed a bit. She seemed... happier? He looked more closely, and saw her reflection in the window had brown hair, not white.

The best time of the year,

when everyone comes home,

with all this Christmas cheer

It's hard to be alone.

Putting up the Christmas Tree,

with friends who come around!

It's so much fun,

when Christmas comes to town!

Had he ever thought of her on Christmas? _No._ He admitted dishearteningly. Christmas he was usually with Tooth and North and Sandy, having a "jolly" time, as North called it. In three hundred years, had see never found another spirit to befriend? He had never even brought her up to any of the others out there.

Presents for the children

wrapped in red and green!

Her voice changed again, back to the first.

_All the things I heard about,_

_but never really seen. _

Tooth had joined Aster at some point, he wasn't sure when, but she was tearing up, with her hand over her mouth, trying to muffle her crying. Babytooth flew up to Jackie, and snuggled her cheek. She gasped, but gratefully accepted the distraction from her own depressing thoughts.

No one will be sleeping on

the night of Christmas Eve,

hoping Santa's on his way!

She giggled as Babytooth jitter happily.

When Santa's sleigh bells ring,

_I listen all a round. _

The Harald Angel's sing!

_I never hear a sound._

And all the dreams of children,

what's lost will all be found.

That's all I want

when Christmas comes

to town.

That's all I want,

when Christmas comes

to town.

Her voice slowed near the end of the song, and she held her last note for at least ten seconds before it too died away. There was a heartbeat of a second of silence before Tooth broke down with a hysteria of tears, flying straight at Jackie. Jackie jumped at the sound before being engulfed in a bone crushing hug from Tooth.

"Oh, Jacquline!" Tooth cried loudly. Jackie looked terrified.

Pushing Tooth away, Jackie backed up in midair. She stood in the air, and looked down at Bunny with the same expression. Gulping, she asked, "How long have you been listening?"

"Sense 'lalala'." Aster answered, trying his best to keep up his usual teasing voice.

Jackie floated to the ground looking crestfallen. "Don't tell anyone." She begged quietly. K

"Huh?" Tooth asked confused, flying down to stand next to her.

Laughing humorlessly, she said, "You'd think I'd be used to it after three hundred years, spending all my time alone, but I just... remember Christmas is supposed to be different. It wasn't until I got my memories that I understood the faceless images on Christmas. I always saw them, but never really _saw_ them. I know it doesn't make any sense." Jackie mumbled.

Tooth was teary-eyed again, and hugged Jackie again. Jackie looked horribly uncomfortable with the contact, and looked to Aster for help.

"Uh, Tooth? Tooth, why don't we take Jackie and head back to the Library. North should be here soon." Aster pried Tooth of of Jackie, and herded both in the direction of the Library, not listening to Jackie's protests.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the yetis, and an idea began forming in his mind. "Tooth, don't suffocate Jackie before I get back. I'll just be a quick second." And off he hopped, down the hall and to the Yeti.

"Oi! Oi, I need your help!" He whispered. The Yeti stopped in his tracks, and looked at Aster as if he'd grown a second pair of ears. "I know! I know! Just hear me out! I need you to make one last Christmas present if you can." The yeti nodded. "A'right!" Aster said, an excited look sparking in his eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>You know, I HAD a plan for this. And then I forgot it. I know the present, but I can't remember how I had the events play out! Help for this would be great! If not... well... it'll be a while before this is finished then. <strong>


End file.
